St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields
4.5
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
St Martin-in-the-Fields is a landmark. Its fine Georgian architecture and prominent location place it at the heart of the nation. Its work has valued historic tradition, but St Martin’s has always been innovative in response to changing needs. From London’s first free lending library to the first religious broadcast, St Martin’s has broken new ground in defining what it means to be a church. Solidifying its position for years to come, St Martin's has an award-winning cafe, puts on concerts with London's best musicians, and hosts fantastic events in its unique subterranean spaces. Free lunchtime concerts take place every Monday, Tuesday and Friday, a fantastic way to hear both established and emerging stars of the classical scene. As well as the fantastic food on offer in the Cafe in the Crypt, during the summer months St Martin's opens the Cafe in the Courtyard, offering a host of al fresco delights.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Covent Garden
Whether you're headed here to check out the multitude of shops, theaters, cafes, pubs, and restaurants, or simply to be among the multitude of people who pass through this pretty part of town, you'll love soaking up the festive and historic atmosphere in and around Covent Garden. Even if you don't have tickets to the opera or a show at one of the many famous theaters here, don't be surprised if find yourself captivated by some impromptu act of a street performer wowing the crowds in Covent Garden's Piazza. If you do have tickets, you'll be pleased to note that many of the local eateries accommodate theatergoers with prix fixe menus, early dinners, and later than usual opening hours.
How to get there
- Charing Cross • 2 min walk
- Leicester Square • 4 min walk
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Best nearby
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10,000 within 3 miles
Attractions
2,812 within 6 miles
See what travellers are saying
- JAFLondon, United Kingdom40 contributionsMusic in the CryptSinatra tribute in the crypt. Brilliant evening. Band and singer were great. Lovely polite bar staff eager to help. Purchased meat and cheese platers with wine.. perfect.Visited October 2023Travelled with familyWritten 26 October 2023
- nomyboLunenburg, Massachusetts76 contributionsAbsolutely wonderful!Attended the Thursday lunchtime Great Sacred music service. A peaceful break from the hustle of the city. Absolutely wonderful; beautiful surroundings, angelic voices and an interesting discussion of the music presentationVisited December 2023Travelled soloWritten 11 December 2023
- Jeffry bEssendon, Australia13,591 contributionsOne of London's finest ChurchesSt Martin-in-the-Fields is an Anglican church. The Church is in Trafalgar Square, which is a center of London. This Church of England is a fine structure rated from the 18th century. The Church is one of the finest in London. Apart from other things, the crypt has performances of the jazz type. It's popular with locals and visitors from the United Kingdom and overseas We looked around when we visited St Martin's when we were in Trafalger Square, it was beautiful.Visited February 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 31 March 2024
- BigJeff L1,496 contributionsFree to enter - what's not to like!This splendid church has magnificent Georgian architecture and it stands in one corner of Trafalgar Square. The current building was completed in 1726 and in 1924 it actually hosted the first church service to be broadcast on the radio. The Church features many concerts, including free lunchtime and afternoon performances. There are also atmospheric candlelit evening events and regular exhibitions to discover. There are 2 cafes, Courtyard Café and Café in the Crypt which is worth a visit for the ambience of its surroundings. The church has a magnificent Organ and a particularly beautiful ceiling. This is a famous church it is featured in several books and has hosted many famous weddings. In addition the church may be the St Martin's referred to in the nursery rhyme known as Oranges and Lemons.Visited May 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 19 June 2024
- Helen LewisSwansea, United Kingdom256 contributionsCandlelit concerts on Trafalgar square.Splendid candlelit concert by the Trafalgar Sinfonia in this lovely church. Enjoyed a mixed programme of classical music from Bach, Handel and Vivaldi. It's a short concert so you can combine it with a west end visit.Visited July 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 6 July 2024
- Sue C51 contributionsA wonderful quiet spaceWhat a beautifully serene church. An ideal place to catch your breath amid the helterskelter of visiting London. I'd hoped to go to the National Gallery but the queue was so long I decided against it. St Martins more than made up for it. Many thanks for the welcome.Visited July 2024Travelled soloWritten 15 July 2024
- MrsPiketRotterdam, The Netherlands3,915 contributionsNice church & lovely concertThe famous St Martin-in-the-Fields Church dated from A.D. 1726 and is located at Trafalgar Square. On a warm Saturday-evening in July, we visited the church. The Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra played Bach, Händel and Telemann with Ben Goldscheider and Radek Baborák, horn, and Jiri Houdek, trumpet. Baborák conducted. The concert included Bach’s Brandenburg 3, Händel’s Water & Fireworks, and Telemann’s Trumpet Sonata & Concerto for 2 Horns. Before the concert we had a drink in the spacious church’s crypt café. The Oxford Orchestra is professional but appears to be a second level orchestra focusing on popular baroque music. Nonetheless the concert was very nice. Recommended.Visited July 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 8 August 2024
- Frans B12 contributionsA safe anchorage.Absolutely great. A place where everybody is welcome. Whatever your nationality, colour of your passport , rich or poor, alone or with friends and family. In the crypt there is a place to eat and drink. Prices are very reasonable and staff very friendly. In the evening there are excellent concerts in the church. Of course it a church and a place of worship. A historical church. A safe anchorage.Visited August 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 29 August 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.5
1,348 reviews
Excellent
799
Very good
427
Average
93
Poor
13
Terrible
16
empathology
Rotterdam, The Netherlands617 contributions
May 2022
A pleasant church in the very centre of London, this venue has been hosting intimate concerts for a very long time. Acoustics are good, though you may just hear the noise of Trafalgar Square outside during the silences. Seating is the church pews plus other spaces - take care that you don't pick a seat that has partial views! The cafe in the crypt offers a small range of (somewhat pricey) food, and you can take your drinks in with you. And the staff are courteous and friendly.
If you're kicking your heels in central London, check out their programme - it's not expensive and is a nice way to spend a few hours in the company of (often) fine musicians.
If you're kicking your heels in central London, check out their programme - it's not expensive and is a nice way to spend a few hours in the company of (often) fine musicians.
Written 21 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David ANDREWS
6 contributions
Sept 2023 • Friends
Went for a TJ JOHNSON gig on Wednesday 27/9. Band were excellent. Huge negative was the service for the pre ordered food and drinks. The staff couldn’t understand that I’d ordered two platters, one for me, one for my friend, which included two glasses of wine per platter. After several explanations with various members of the staff we got the two platters, unfortunately they insisted that we were only entitled to one glass of wine. I showed them the confirmation, clearly indicating two glasses of wine per platter. After further conversation with the staff, who kept referring me to other colleagues, I went to the bar, for the third time, insisting that they supply what I’d paid for. After more wrangling I got it. It took over 45 minutes, by which time the band had started, lighting turned down, making it difficult to see what we were eating. As a result of all the comings and going, it ruined the food experience. I will add that, for the price, it was reasonably priced, and tasted pretty good. Just a shame it was spoiled by staff who couldn’t or wouldn’t believe what I was showing them, to get the order correct. Will return, as it’s a great place, with a very good atmosphere. Will be eating elsewhere though. If you decide to eat there and have more than one dish, might be an idea for each member of your party to have their own ticket, separately in your phone.
Written 30 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yossi C
London, UK28 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
This is a review for cafe in the courtyard in St Martin’s church. I went with my family 2 adults and 3 children to listen to some live music on the last Monday bank holiday in August. We had lunch here as we read the cafe is award winning. However, while the staff were friendly the food was utterly rubbish! Some of the worst food we’ve had anywhere. For example a bread roll with grated cheese and piccalilli cost £5.50! A tomato salad was simply chopped tomatoes and a ton of red onions & instead of the basil it promised we had some cake crumbs thrown in randomly! Then we went to the loos and nearly threw up the £50 something lunch we had. The facilities were absolutely disgusting and Left me feeling angry that they expect human beings to use such facilities. A shame as the live music was great but that’s about it!
Written 30 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julia Vitullo-Martin
New York City, NY255 contributions
Jun 2020
St Martin's is a gorgeous neoclassical church designed by James Gibbs 1722-26 and located in the northeast corner of Trafalgar Square that I've long loved as a respite from London throngs. In the summer you can sit in the courtyard, have something to eat, and listen to spectacularly good concerts. In the winter you can enter the serene church, sit and pray, or listen to the ongoing classical rehearsals, always of a high quality. I love the church so much that I always look for a hotel in the neighborhood.
Written 5 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bells000
London, UK156 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
I have been wanting to do a candlelight concert for a while so I opted for this one as it was music at the musicals. The orchestra were amazing and very talented, however, for us we felt it wasn’t loud enough. The seating is extremely uncomfortable but you can buy a cushion for £2 pp. unfortunately we didn’t do that and became extremely fidgety halfway through the performance but because we were sitting in a pew that had only on entrance we couldn’t leave without asking others to stand. Also, we noted that there was a lot more space within the church where we could have been seated but our pew was full and we felt like sardines. Overall we enjoyed the performance but decided it wasn’t somewhere we would return and would seek a more comfortable venue where the music is louder.
Written 24 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joanne V
Epping, UK58 contributions
Jul 2021
A beautiful place to visit. The church is stunning and the crypt underneath has a good cafe and sweet gift shop. This is the perfect place to go and take in a Baroque concert on a Saturday evening. I went to hear the Trafalgar Sinfonia play the 4 Seasons, and other famous pieces by Vivaldi and Bach. It was an absolute joy - the soloist was amazing and the orchestra were the best I have heard. After the pain of lockdown, it was a very special moment.
Written 23 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
S4136XSdavidb
Texas459 contributions
Feb 2020
The beautiful church has a nice cafeteria-style restaurant in the Crypt (basement ). I believe was an actual plague pit spot hundreds of years ago, but the bones have been removed. High vaulted ceiling, Food was hot, fresh, staff helpful. Ran out of local beer, though, so had to drink an Italian brew. Prices quite reasonable for London, church uses cafe to pay for homeless outreach. Good food for a good cause. Wish we could have heard a concert, the acoustics are incredible.
Written 19 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DunelmArts
Aberdeen, UK1,168 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
Visited St Martin in the Fields after lunch in the Crypt. Every Thursday there is a free concert of sacred music beginning at 1pm which lasts for about half an hour. The choir was amazing, made all themore wonderful by the beautiful surroundings. Well worth a visit.
Written 12 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tori W
American Fork, UT5 contributions
Jun 2022
We were able to attend an orchestra concert called Mozart and Moonlight. The sound quality in the church was great, and the church setting itself was very nice. I just wished I was allowed to take a picture or video clip of the concert to remember it better. But I just mean that as a compliment that I really enjoyed the experience. Also, I liked the outreach approach I saw on cards in the church inviting people to meet to share what ways they have found meaning in life without any particular religious background or language required. I thought that was a welcoming and appealing approach.
Written 15 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ianwyj
Singapore5,188 contributions
Dec 2022
We visited the church as we knew it more as a venue for lunchtime and evening classical musical concerts. Very elegant interior, and an intimate atmosphere in a building dating back to the 1700s. Located just off Trafalgar Square, and it made a convenient shelter during a lunctime shower in London. Also visited the crypt - now converted to a rather atmospheric cafe with the entrance outside and just next to the church.
Written 1 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Are the restricted view seats on the floor or in the gallery?
Written 26 April 2024
Best seats in price band D ristrcited view. Stuck between side aisle unreserved seats towards the front or obstructed pillar view towards the side of the centre seating. Thanks
Written 13 July 2021
How restricted are the restricted view seats? Planning to go to the New Year's Day concert
Written 18 September 2019
StMartinsLondon
London, United Kingdom
Hi nelliekaye,
Thank you for your question, it depends which restricted view seats you are going for! Some of the seats have views that are obstructed by columns (as is the nature of the building) others less so. I would recommend calling our box office on 020 7766 1100 to chat about the best available tickets for the price bands.
Best wishes,
Sarah
Written 18 September 2019
Is it cold in there?! Planning to come with hubby on Saturday night and wondered how wrapped up we should be? Thank you!
Written 27 January 2019
StMartinsLondon
London, United Kingdom
Hi Sherpa474,
Whilst it isn't cold inside St Martin-in-the-Fields, the weather in London itself is currently quite chilly! We recommend light layers when visiting.
I hope this helps!
Written 28 January 2019
where can I get a proper seating plan online before I book?
Written 18 January 2017
When you click on "book tickets", a rough seating plan will come up. Then look for a box that says something about a detailed seating plan. Click it. The same rough plan will appear, however if you click on the area of the rough plan that you are interested in, a detailed seat plan will appear.
Written 18 January 2017
Is there a seating plan online and if so where?
Written 18 January 2017
No seating plan as far as I saw: first come, first served. So I agree with David F.
Note that the voluntary donation is best given at the end of the concert on the way out - not at the beginning otherwise you can get a guilty feeling for skipping past the collection points!
Written 18 January 2017
The best seats are in the nave and towards the front in the middle so your view is not obscured. We booked our seats online 6 weeks prior to the Vivaldi Gloria concert and had front row seats which were fantastic. Even if you can't get nave seats don't be deterred, try the balcony to still obtain a view. The acoustics in the church are very good and well worth attending to see a performance
Written 18 December 2016
Not worth driving there partly because parking is difficult to find. Even if you managed to find parking, is going to be expensive unless you know where the free parking is. It is very near to a tube station. Even is just within a 3 mins from a tube station.
Written 5 February 2017
Hello,
please could somebody tell me when and where can I get information about the 2015 Christmas Carol Concert(s)?
Thank you
Simon
Written 15 April 2015
Dear Simon,
Many apologies for the delay in replying to you!
I am delighted to tell you that all of our Christmas concerts went on sale to the public today.
Full information can be found on our website or you can call us on and we would be delighted to tell you about the concerts.
With best wishes and many thanks,
Nick
St Martin's Concerts Team
Written 1 July 2015
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